Metal on Ice
Tales from Canada's Hard Rock and Heavy Metal Heroes
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4.8 • 13 Ratings
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- $7.99
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- $7.99
Publisher Description
A musical genre as tough and hard as the Canadian Shield.
Canada has produced many successful proponents of the genre known as heavy metal, which grew out of the hard rock of the 1970s, exploded commercially in the 1980s, and then petered out in the 1990s as grunge took over, only to rise to prominence once again in the new millennium.
The road to Canadian musical glory is not lined with the palm trees and top-down convertibles of the Sunset Strip. It is a road slick with black ice, obscured by blizzards, and littered with moose and deer that could cause peril for a cube van thundering down a Canadian highway.
Drawing on interviews with original artists such as Helix, Anvil, Coney Hatch, Killer Dwarfs, Harem Scarem, and Honeymoon Suite, as well as prominent journalists, VJs, and industry insiders, we relive their experiences, motivations, and lifestyles as they strove for that most alluring of brass rings – the coveted record deal. It’s a new perspective on the dreams of musicians shooting for an American ideal of success and discovering a uniquely Canadian voice in the process.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Veteran rocker Kelly provides a fascinating history of Canadian hard rock. The author combines a methodical approach with obvious enthusiasm for his subject, first setting the stage by introducing the significant figures in this field, icons such as Anvil, Coney Hatch, Harem Scarem, Helix, Killer Dwarfs and more. What follows is an celebration of the world of hard rock, ranging from the demanding lifestyle forced on Canada's itinerant musicians by that nation's thinly settled geography to the challenges of trying to expand into the U.S. market, from Canadian rock journalism to the exploitive machinations of the music industry of the day, and from the heights of the golden age of the 1970s and 1980s to the dark age of the 1990s, when hard rock and metal were pushed aside by the grunge fad; the one element that gets short shrift are the women of Canadian rock, relegated to a single chapter. Drawing on his own experiences and that of the musicians he interviewed, the author has created a masterful account whose main flaw, aside from its focus on men, is brevity; the reader is left hoping this is merely introductory and works of greater depth will follow.
Customer Reviews
Great book on Cdn 80's Rock
As a proud Canadian growing up on a border town I always wondered why my American friends never heard of great Cdn bands like Prism, April Wine, Trooper, etc who had great catchy radio hits playing 1/2 mile north of the USA border
This book gives great insight on the struggles that Cdn bands had with traveling and gaining exposure in the lucrative USA market
THE Book To Own On Canadian Music
Author Sean Kelly is currently the guitarist for Nelly Furtado and has played bass with Carol Pope and with Helix. If that wasn’t enough he has his own band, Cash Kelly and has released a few Classical guitar albums. With that musical background it is only fitting that he write a book.
As the title suggests this is a book on Canadian Metal and Hard Rock. It shares his memories of growing up in North Bay, Ont to playing on stage with some of his heroes and interviewing them for this book. After reading the advance of METAL ON ICE I have to begin by saying that this is THE book of Canadian music. I have never seen, let alone read such an informative book on Canadian music before. This book was one that I could relate to in many ways as I share many of the same favorite albums as the author. Growing up in Newfoundland in the 80’s we had few shows to go to and we mainly heard of bands through magazines such as Circus and Hit Parader and later on Rip, Metal Maniacs and Metal Edge. It is these memories that I have in common with Mr. Kelly that makes this book all the more special.
Hearing about the early days of the bands you idolized as a teen and how they struggled to make it is eyeopening. It wasn’t all tour busses and fancy hotels by any stretch. Sleeping in freezing cold hotel rooms and sharing a bathroom with the entire floor was considered a luxury. It was after many years of enduring this that some of the bands finally “Made It”. Sadly the decline came quicker for some than the rise did. The book isn’t all about the bad, it just states the reality of the times. Intertwined with band stories are Sean’s personal recollections of what it was like growing up in these times which is what many of us readers will relate to. The book also takes a look at the media of the times, namely Much Music’s “Power Hour” and Toronto’s M.E.A.T. magazine that became a nation-wide success.
METAL ON ICE is a mini encyclopedia of Canadian Metal. It is a book of memories for those that lived it and a wealth of info for those that didn’t. Even if you were there or grew up in that era listening to the music you will enjoy reading the stories from the artists you looked up to as a teen. There are many new and unheard stories straight from the bands themselves which add to the persona. Mr. Kelly captures the essence of an era from different angles which sheds a positive light on a genre that usually gets a bad rap by some. METAL ON ICE is a book that every Canadian who has an interest in music should own. Essential reading for ALL Metal music fans.
» Metal On Ice (Book Review)
by Celtic Bob of Metal-Rules.com
Metal on Ice
Mr. Kelly made a valiant effort to showcase his favourite Canadian metal bands. Good work, but I just do not share the same appreciation for these great artists as he does, unfortunately.